Finally got the Hallicrafters S-77A all put back together and working. Still needs a little alignment, but they thoughtfully put holes in te bottom for the RF and OSC caps Brought my wife in to watch the first powering up since reassembly, and the first English speaking station was from Peking, China. That impressed ever her. Now, I have a question. In all my career, I always used "store boughten" antennas (antennae?) from 424 feet for 580 kHz (I know its not a quarter wave, it was part of a directional antenna), to about an inch and a half for ~1 gHz (DME and transponder on an airliner), that were cut to the exact frequency we needed, and this Hallicrafters has no antenna of any type in it. Well, if I use a length of antenna (about ten meters) to get good Short Wave, but I can barely get a 50kW clear channel about twenty miles away in Atlanta. If I use the 33 meter antenna, I get Atlanta stations (and others) great, but poor short wave at the high end of the band. Now what? Four antennae, one for each band, or a variable capacitor to "shorten" the 33 mdter antenna for SWLing? We used coils to make a CB antenna "longer" so a five foot antenna looked like a quarter wave to 11 meters. Any hams (people who know more about antennas than anybody)able to give advice? Thanks.
Lewis

LL,
I've played around with antennas a bit, but your problem with a 33m ant and a 50kw station is a little unusual. Except for the fact that your particular direction from the 50kw station may be blacked out purposely. Obviously using a 10m (33ft) vs a 33m (108ft) wire is going to increase RSS. Might Google ARRL or QST for antenna info/articles. I have an old ARRL antenna handbook covered with dust and cobwebs, so give me a couple days to resaearch it.

marv

:Finally got the Hallicrafters S-77A all put back together and working. Still needs a little alignment, but they thoughtfully put holes in te bottom for the RF and OSC caps Brought my wife in to watch the first powering up since reassembly, and the first English speaking station was from Peking, China. That impressed ever her. Now, I have a question. In all my career, I always used "store boughten" antennas (antennae?) from 424 feet for 580 kHz (I know its not a quarter wave, it was part of a directional antenna), to about an inch and a half for ~1 gHz (DME and transponder on an airliner), that were cut to the exact frequency we needed, and this Hallicrafters has no antenna of any type in it. Well, if I use a length of antenna (about ten meters) to get good Short Wave, but I can barely get a 50kW clear channel about twenty miles away in Atlanta. If I use the 33 meter antenna, I get Atlanta stations (and others) great, but poor short wave at the high end of the band. Now what? Four antennae, one for each band, or a variable capacitor to "shorten" the 33 mdter antenna for SWLing? We used coils to make a CB antenna "longer" so a five foot antenna looked like a quarter wave to 11 meters. Any hams (people who know more about antennas than anybody)able to give advice? Thanks.
:Lewis
:

LL,
My dust encrusted ARRL antenna book (circa 1974) has too many articles to scan and email. Many multi freq items are described as long wire adaptations, as well as tuning elements for different freqs, but mostly pertain to amateur HF bands. My 73's handbook (circa 1975) publication "Vertical, Beam and Triangle Antennas might also be helpful. Vertical antennae (dipole) are non directional, whereas any long wire horizontal is directional "off axis" of wire direction. A local library may have both the noted publications or Google either.

marv

:Finally got the Hallicrafters S-77A all put back together and working. Still needs a little alignment, but they thoughtfully put holes in te bottom for the RF and OSC caps Brought my wife in to watch the first powering up since reassembly, and the first English speaking station was from Peking, China. That impressed ever her. Now, I have a question. In all my career, I always used "store boughten" antennas (antennae?) from 424 feet for 580 kHz (I know its not a quarter wave, it was part of a directional antenna), to about an inch and a half for ~1 gHz (DME and transponder on an airliner), that were cut to the exact frequency we needed, and this Hallicrafters has no antenna of any type in it. Well, if I use a length of antenna (about ten meters) to get good Short Wave, but I can barely get a 50kW clear channel about twenty miles away in Atlanta. If I use the 33 meter antenna, I get Atlanta stations (and others) great, but poor short wave at the high end of the band. Now what? Four antennae, one for each band, or a variable capacitor to "shorten" the 33 mdter antenna for SWLing? We used coils to make a CB antenna "longer" so a five foot antenna looked like a quarter wave to 11 meters. Any hams (people who know more about antennas than anybody)able to give advice? Thanks.
:Lewis
: